An archaeologist named Graham came to the site Monday to help with the profile drawings. He's a great character and always has a story, each one more interesting than the last. As the trenches are in a checker board pattern each has four profiles, north, south, east, and west. However to get a good idea of the stratigraphy, we're connecting all the trenches in the "C" column running north-south and those in the 05 row running east-west. Graham is working to draw all the profiles that will disappear when the trenches are connected.
First he sets a datum line at a certain elevation -- say 22.5 m -- then draws the strata and any inclusions (rocks or coral jutting from the side) by measuring their distance above or below the datum line. These drawings are different than photos since they are subjective and may show things that are not as apparent in the photographs. This helps us determine any patterns in the stratigraphy. If, for example, stratum 3 is rockier (if that's possible) in the southern region or thicker in the western, we can infer how plant roots may have moved the rocks, and therefore artefacts. The profile drawings can also indicate any minute geologic history, such as rock falls, of the area pre- and post-occupation.
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